Metal sign.



G. A. GLASS.

METAL sum. KPPLICATION FILED OCT- I4, 1915.

Patented Oct 31, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- im/E/vm Gian/n9 6205s,

WITNESSgS. A B

A TTOR/VEYS METAL SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented a. 31 1916.

Application filed 0ct0ber'14,'1915. Serial No. 55,873.

' To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEoncnA. GLASS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of few Jersey, have invented'a new and useful Improvement in Metal Signs, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to signs and more particularly to metal signs wherein a polished plate is used to form the field work or background of the letters, the primary object of my invention being to permit of thorough cleaning and polishing of the background or field work of the sign without danger of smearing, defacing, or

: otherwise marking the letters themselves.

In accomplishing this object I utilize a skeleton front plate having the outlines of the letters out out therefrom and a letter plate upon the face of which the front outline plate is detachably mounted, theletter plate having either a flat surface to form surface letters which are etched out of a polished plate in the usual manufacture of such signs, or provided with raised letters adapted to project-through the outlines of the front plate to form what is generally known as an embossed sign, the letter plate being in either instance-0f a suitable color to form the letters through the outlines of the front plate and the sign in either instance including a back plate detachably mounted against the rear surface of the letter plate and provided with projections to extend through apertures in the letter plate where necessary to form the inner field work or background of certain letters having inner openings entirely surrounded by portions of the letters.

The particular manner in which the invention is practised will be clearly understood from the following description, referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Figure l is a front View of a sign complete within a frame and embodying my invention. through taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the front outline or skeleton plate, the intermediate letter plate and the black plate secured in proper relation. Fig. 4 is a section through the sign taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical. section through a Sign having its letters formed of a style known'as surface lettering. Fig.

and in which-- Fig. 2 is a horizontal section there-' 6 is a front elevation of a portion of the sign shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a front face view of the back plate having projections forming the inner field work or background for certain letters.

Referring now to these figures, and more particularly to Figs. 2, 4L- and 5, it will be seen that the letter plates indicated at A in Figs. 2 and 4, and A in Fig. 5 are inter posed between the front outline or skeleton plates B and the back plate C, the letter plates and back plates having side openings D through which extend studs D projecting rearwardly from the rear surfaces or front outline of skeleton plate B, the back plate having swinging hooks D engageable through transverse apertures in these studs, in order to lock the several plates detachably in the relation before mentioned.

In Figs. 1, 2 and e the letter plate A has raised letters indicated at, A projecting through the outlines B of the front plate B and is provided with openings corresponding to the inner field work or background B of certain letters having inner openings entirely surrounded by portions of the leti ters. such as B, R and O, as in Fig. .1, these openings receiving the projecting studs C placed upon the face of the back plate G as shown in Fig. '7,at points coincident with the openings, so as to project within the letters themselves to parts flush withthe front surface. of the front outline or. skeleton background plate B as will be particularly seen fromFigs. 2, 4t and 5. r

In Figs. 5 and 6 the'letteringis of the type known as surface lettering, which in the usual metal sign involves etching the letters from the front face of apolished plate and enameling the same, the intermediate letter plate A being, in accordance with my infiat throughout so vention in this instance,

through the of the front plate B as seen in selves in order that the former may be readily polished or otherwise resurfaced and renewed 7 without smearing, scratching, or otherwise marring or defacing the letters themselves. Where letters'such as B, R,and O are utilized in a sign it is just as important to detach the inner field work of these letters and hence the back plate C carrying the projections forming such inner field work are readily detachablein substantially the same manner as the front outline or skeleton plate B'.

The sign thus described may be utilized in various ways and mounted in any desirable manner. In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in particular, I have shown one manner in which thersign thus constructed may be associated within a frame E in a manner permitting its ready detachment, and the ready detachment of its several parts, the front outline or skeleton plate B being to this end provided with horizontally projecting studs 13 at one side adapted to enter sockets E in one side of the frame for the reception of such studs as shown in Fig. 2, and having upon its rear face and at itsopposite side a lock 13 for engagement with the opposite side frame as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l and in full lines in Fig. 2. To this end also the front outline or skeleton plate B has a key opening 13 and may be provided with a pivot swinging cover plate B to normally cover such key opening. Thus the letter plate and its field work plates detachably mounted in the proper relation as before described, and particularly shown in Fig; 3, may be" detachably mounted within the frame in such manner as to prevent their unwarranted removal a'nd permit of their ready disassociation by those properly having access to theseveral parts for cleaning and re newing' the same.

It is to be appreciated, of course, in the practical use of the invention'that a sign may be made up partly" of surface letters and partly of raisedletters as is'now common practice in'connection with the o'rdinary'signs, in view'of the fact that in 'myinvention the parts are associated thesame for one style as for the other.

It is further to be understood as a matter of course that the surfacingv and coloring of the letters and background may be varied within limits just as wide as those common to the art at present.

I claim 1. A sign comprising a letter plate having apertures, a front outline or skeleton plate forming the outer field work for the letters and through which portions of the letter plate show and a back plate having projections extending through the apertures in the letter plate to form the inner field work of certain letters having inner openings entirely surrounded by portions of the letters, and means for holding the plates in detachable relation to permit of their ready disassocia'tion, for the purposes described.

2'. A- sign comprising a front outline plate, a letter plate having apertures therethrough coincident with the openings of certain letters having inner openings entirely surrounded: by portions of the letters, and a back plate detachable from the letter plate and having projections coincident with and adapted to extend through the apertures of the letter plate to form the inner field work of the letters before mentioned.

3. A sign substantially asdescribed, comprising a bac'k'plate having portions which form the inner field work of certain letters having inner openings entirely surrounded by portions of the letters, a letter plate having letters whose openings correspond with the said: portions of the back plate, and a front outline or skeletonplate having'open- 'ings outlining the letters, a frame, and a locking device for'securing the front outline or skeleton plate in the frame, substantially as set forth.

4. A; sign substantially as described com prising a front outline plate, a letter plate at the rear of the outline plate, a back plate at the rear of the letter plate, said outline plate having apertures through. which portions of the letter" plate show, and said letter plate having apertures through which in turn portions of the back plate show, and means for securely holding the several plates together.

GEORGE A. GLASS.

cepieso'f this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by' addressing: the Commissioner of Patents, WashingtornDL G. 

